Fresh plea to ban vehicles on busy city street

CAMPAIGNERS have called for a revival of contentious plans to ban vehicles from one of Newcastle city centre's busiest streets.

- By DANIEL HOLLAND

A proposed pedestrianisation of Blackett Street has been a hot topic on Tyneside for years and was a long-held ambition of Newcastle City Council, before being shelved in 2022.

The city's previous political leadership had hoped that removing traffic from the busy bus route, which is also commonly used by taxis, could help create a cleaner and greener space for shoppers and city centre workers.

But there was major opposition from bus-company bosses who would be forced to divert their services.

Members of the North East Public Transport Users Group (NEPTUG) and the Newcastle Cycling Campaign are now urging the council to look again at the plans.

As the completion of the huge new HMRC offices on Pilgrim Street nears, the campaigners say that redevelopment should have been used as an opportunity to deliver a "bold vision" for the area around it.

Mark Nelson, chair of the Newcastle Cycling Campaign, said: "The new HMRC offices will bring 7,000 jobs right into the heart of Newcastle and we hope these workers will be able to travel sustainably to their workplace.